Trying to lose weight but don’t have the time to devote to hours of exercise, nor the discipline to keep up with an elaborate diet? We have some good news for you. Real, successful, sustainable weight loss can come from using a few simple tips in a completely unexpected realm: the bedroom. Here’s how:
1. “Tryp” your sleep switch
Tryptophan, an amino acid found in most meats, has been found to demonstrate powerful sleep-inducing effects. A recent study among insomniacs found that just 1/4 grams was enough to significantly increase hours of deep sleep, and that can translate into easy weight loss.
Research has shown that dieters consumed 6 percent fewer calories when they got enough sleep. For someone on a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s 120 calories per day, which could amount to nearly a one-pound/month weight loss!
Seven to eight hours of sleep for most adults is what’s recommended, and if you’re having some difficulty getting tis amount of sleep, now you know what to do.
2. Don’t eat at night
Night-time fasting may help you lose more weight, even if you eat more food throughout the day. Researchers put groups of mice on a high-fat, high-calorie diet for 100 days.
Half of them were allowed to nibble throughout the night and day on a healthy, controlled diet, while the others only had access to food for eight hours, but could eat whatever they wanted. The fasting mice stayed lean, while the mice who noshed ‘round the clock became obese—even though both groups consumed the same amount of calories!
3. Have a glass of protein shake
What may boost your metabolism is having a protein shake before going to bed. Researchers found that men who consumed good snacks in the evening that included 30 grams of either whey or casein protein had a higher resting metabolic rate the next morning than when eating nothing. Protein is more thermogenic than carbs or fat, meaning your body burns more calories digesting it.
4. Sniff some mint
One study published in the Journal of Neurological and Orthopaedic Medicine found that people who sniffed peppermint every two hours lost an average of 5 pounds a month! Bananas, green apples and vanilla had similar effects. Consider burning a minty candle in your bedroom before you head to bed to fill the room with a nice minty scent that’s going to aid in your weight loss.
5. Don’t sleep with the lights on
Sleeping with the lights on at night doesn’t just contribute to weight gain, it may also result in interrupting your chances of a great night’s sleep. Study subjects who slept in the darkest rooms were 21 percent less likely to be obese than those sleeping in the lightest rooms.
